JOKES ASIDE, SHE IS ACTING GOVERNOR

By LINDSEY GRUSON, Special to the New York Times

Published: February 7, 1988

PHOENIX, Feb. 6—
When speculation that Gov. Evan Mecham might resign started rising last October, Secretary of State Rose Mofford telephoned a good friend in Flagstaff and said, ''Good morning, this is Governor Mofford.''

''Did that little twerp resign?'' her friend asked.

''No,'' said Mrs. Mofford. ''I was just kidding you.''

It no longer is a joke as a result of the Arizona House's voting 46 to 14 on Friday to impeach Mr. Mecham for ''high crimes, misdemeanors and malfeasance in office.''

The State Attorney General, Bob Corbin, said Mrs. Mofford, 65 years old, became Acting Governor as soon as the House acted. Mrs. Mofford, a Democrat, has hesitated to claim the office, however, and Mr. Mecham, a Republican, has called for a meeting with her on Monday to discuss the issue.

This is by no means the first time as Acting Governor for the folksy and fast-talking Mrs. Mofford, a state government employee since 1941 who takes pride in her unofficial title as the ''grandmother of Arizona.''

In the early 1980's when Gov. Bruce Babbitt traveled frequently to drum up foreign investment in Arizona, Mrs. Mofford was bumped up to the top position for no fewer than 889 days. ''I've been Governor longer than many of my predecessors,'' she says. Strictly Noncontroversial

This time Mrs. Mofford has been almost reluctant to take over the top job. Usually accessible almost to a fault, she secluded herself in her office during the impeachment vote. She then avoided House Republican leaders who were trying to inform her that she had become the Acting Governor and sprinted to her car, outrunning a pack of reporters half her age.

Her critics say that is her chief fault. She is one of the few Democrats who has refused to criticize Mr. Mecham. A recent profile in the Tucson City Magazine called her ''steadfastly noncontroversial'' and said, ''You could wait for Godot while trying to remember if she's taken any stands on issues facing the legislature.''

Mrs. Mofford will face tough decisions while the legislative process is tied up in Mr. Mecham's trial. The state has a $248 million budget deficit, an amount more than 50 times her annual budget for the Secretary of State's office, and she will have to support either an increase in taxes or deep cuts in spending. 'Skewered by the Best'

Mrs. Mofford, whose trademark is a platinum beehive hairdo, is widely known as dangerous with a one-liner. She is a raucous quipster who antagonizes almost no one and disarms almost everyone with political barbs.

''I've been skewered by the best, and I've skewered the best,'' says Mrs. Mofford, who proudly notes that she has been ''honored'' by both political parties. ''I can dish it out, but I can take it, too.''

Mrs. Mofford cheerfully travels across the state to the smallest desert towns for the dustiest parades. She hands out watches with her portrait on the dial, and each year, she sends 3,000 Christmas cards with a caricature of herself on the cover.

The elevation of Mrs. Mofford, who likes to be called Rose or Rosie, caps a career in state government remarkable for its longevity. She has worked with 12 of Arizona's 17 governors.

Mrs. Mofford's parents were Austrian immigrants who settled in Leadville, Colo., in 1912 and later moved to Globe, Ariz., where Rose Perica was born on June 10, 1922. In secondary school, she was a star athlete, winning national honors in softball. She also was a prize-winning typist.

Shortly after graduation from high school, Mrs. Mofford was hired as a secretary in the State Treasurer's office. She moved up through the ranks, earning a reputation for efficiency and loyalty to her staff. She became executive secretary to the State Tax Commission in 1947 but was discharged six years later because, Commissioner Thad Mokre said, ''we felt it was better to have a man in that job.''

After Mrs. Mofford was discharged, she was hired as the executive secretary to Secretary of State Wesley Bolin.

When Mr. Bolin became Governor in 1977 he appointed Mrs. Mofford to be his successor as Secretary of State. She ran for the office on her own in 1978, 1982 and 1986 and was elected each time by large margins.

Mrs. Mofford was married for 10 years to Capt. T. R. (Lefty) Mofford of the Phoenix Police Department. They were divorced in 1967 but remained friends until his death in 1983. Governor Makes Appearances

WILLCOX, Ariz., Feb. 6 (AP) - Mr. Mecham said today that his lawyer would tear his accusers ''to bits'' during his trial in the State Senate.

In one of several appearances today, the impeached Governor told a friendly audience at Town Hall here that he believed House members wanted to impeach him because they thought he would win the May 17 election to recall him from office.

At a stop in Benson, he told a crowd of about 100 people, ''I hope you work on intimidating your representatives.''

Mr. Mecham also is scheduled this spring to go on trial on six felony charges including fraud, perjury and filing false documents in connection with a $350,000 campaign loan.

Photo of Rose Mofford, Arizona's Secretary of State, at her home in Phoenix, after the impeachment of Gov. Evan Mecham (AP)